Obscured by Shadows
by Chi Hisakata
Summary: After months of living together and being partners, Tsubaki finds that she doesn't know as much about her partner as she'd initially thought. After a combat training exercise, Black Star begins acting weird, and things only get worse after their special mission in Japan. Can they break down the wall, or are some things better kept obscured by shadows? (TsuStar & hints of SoMa)
1. Not Just a Dream!

_Black Star._

The girl shakily got to her feet, her tangled and matted black hair falling loosely over her shoulders. All around her, her family lay strewn across the ground covered in blood. Her house was in shambles and, even being as trained as they were at combat, the Nakatsukasas stood little chance against even a single member of the infamous Star Clan.

Tears welled up in the her blue tinted eyes as she looked up at the boy she called her friend and Meister, her already hazy vision further blurring from the water leaking out. "Black Star, please. I'm begging you to stop this. What's gotten into you?"

"Stop talking like you know me," the boy snapped in an arrogant tone, gazing down at her with cold eyes from his perch on the wall. "Such a big star like me wouldn't associate himself with someone like you in a million years."

"But I do know you!" the girl insisted, tears now streaming down her pale face. "This isn't you. You're not a killer!"

"I don't know who you think you are," he said, drawing a blade from his forearm, "but I'm part of the Star Clan and I got hired to kill you, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa."

"Hired by who?" she asked in a trembling voice as he leapt off the wall and advanced towards her.

The assassin smirked as he stopped a few feet away from her. "If you really wanna know, I guess I could tell you. Your brother, Masamune Nakatsukasa, was the one who hired me. My target was only you, but wiping out the rest of your family was fun. Plus. it goes to prove how big a man I am, taking down a whole house of skilled fighters."

Before she could react, he had his blade at her throat, his warm breath on the side of her neck.

"Black Star... Please," she pleaded, not even bothering to struggle as he pressed the cool blade deeper into her neck. "This isn't you..."

The last words she heard before he slit her throat were, "You don't know me, Tsubaki. So just shut up."

* * *

Tsubaki woke in cold sweat, shivers running through her body, and every nerve on end. Looking at the clock on her nightstand, she saw that it was only three in the morning.

She glanced over at Black Star who was sprawled across his mattress, snoring loudly as he murmured something inaudible. The Weapon liked to think she knew her Meister better than anyone (with the exception of Soul Eater, maybe), but the horrifying dream she kept having made her faith begin to waver the slightest bit.

Laying back down, Tsubaki stared up at the ceiling, pulling her covers up to her chin. She couldn't imagine her life without the boisterous and sometimes obnoxious Meister. He was the one who'd brought her out of her shell and showed her that a Camellia blossom does have a fragrance. She found herself smiling as she gazed over at her partner's sleeping form, and was glad she was obscured by shadows as a tear rolled out of the corner of her eye, dropping onto her pillow.

_No, I definitely couldn't imagine my life without Black Star; _thought the Weapon as she rolled over and closed her eyes. _After all, it'd be far too quiet without him around... _

"Tsubaki! Hey get up! We're gonna be late to school!"

Slowly opening her eyes, Tsubaki sat up and looked around, her gaze falling on Black Star who was standing in their bedroom doorway with a curious expression on his face. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was already 6:45 am. They had fifteen minutes until school started!

"Oh no!" she exclaimed springing to her feet and running pass Black Star to the bathroom to get ready.

Shaking his head, the young assassin went over and tidied up her bed as best he could before heading to kitchen and grabbing an apple from the fridge. He'd noticed that his Weapon partner had been acting strange lately, but he hadn't wanted to bother her about it. It was an unsaid mutual agreement that they'd tell each other things when they were fully ready, therefore, there was no use in rushing her. He had the decency to respect her privacy.

"I'm so sorry, Black Star," Tsubaki apologized as she stepped into the kitchen in her usual attire which consisted of a tan ankle length dress, thigh high socks, and white combat boots.

"It's not like I care about being late," shrugged her Meister as they exited their apartment and headed toward the Shibusen. "But I thought you would, so I woke you up."

"Thank you," she told him gratefully. "I really don't want to get another detention from Stein as punishment."

"It's just dissecting things," Black Star pointed out. "I don't see what the big deal is. We do it everyday. Shouldn't you be used to it by now?"

Tsubaki sighed. "Well, I'm fine with doing it in class since it's for a grade, but I really enjoy it enough to want detention."

They walked in silence for a while before she caught Black Star throwing her sideways glances.

"You're wondering why I've been getting up late everyday?" she questioned as they climbed the Shibusen's front steps.

"A little," he shrugged.

"I've just been having nightmares, that's all," she said in a reassuring tone. "Nothing to worry about."  
What she didn't say was that they were about him.

Before this week, she hadn't really thought about what it would be like if Black Star was still part of the Star Clan and she hadn't started the DWMA. Chances were, they might have never even met. but the thought still saddened her.

Giving her one last look, Black Star let out a sigh and decided not to press any further. He was too big a man to pester people about little things.

Fortunately, the pair made it to Class Crescent Moon seconds before the bell rang, taking their usual seats near the back of the room, but still earning a glare from Professor Franken Stein.

"Black Star, Tsubaki," Stein drawled, his eyes flashing.

"Y...yes sir?" they both stammered. Even Black Star had to admit the guy was scary. But someday, he'd be able to beat Stein, and eventually, Shinigami-sama himself.

"Your presence is required in the Death Room. You're excused from class."

With a sigh of relief, both students jumped down the steps and walked out of the room, glad they weren't in trouble.

"That was a close call," Tsubaki sighed as they made their way down the hall towards the Death Room where Shinigami-sama resided.

"Whatever. We could've taken any punishment he dished out," her Meister laughed. "He doesn't scare someone like me who's gonna surpass god!"

Tsubaki only smiled and nodded. "Of course."

When they finally reached the Death Room, the door slid open to let them inside. Walking under the guillotine blades, Tsubaki thought back to when they'd defeated Masamune, something she couldn't have done without him there. She couldn't help but smile whenever she remembered the look on Black Star's face when he'd turned to her and asked if she would still be his partner now that she'd fulfilled her purpose for coming to the Shibusen.

"Yo, hey there, how's it going, you two?" Shinigami-sama greeted them.

"It's going fine, thanks," Black Star grinned. "So what's up? Why'd you call us down here?"

"Well, I have a special mission for the two of you," was the response. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Of course! Being a man as big as I am, I can handle any special mission out there!" the assassin boasted with a large grin.

Shinigami-sama sighed, shaking his head. "You need to start taking things more seriously, young man. Especially if you intend to turn Tsubaki here into a Deathscythe."

"Oh, I have every intention of making her one of your personal Weapons," Black Star replied. "And I'm gonna do it soon. You just watch."

"Very well, then. Your mission is in Japan. Your plane tickets are booked for tonight, and your target is an assassin on the verge of becoming a Kishin, for not only does he kill his targets, he also devours their soul in the process."

Black Star went silent, hisbody stiffening. Even as he trained to be a dark assassin, he'd never fought anyone with the same fighting techniques as himself. An anticipating grin spread across his face as he clenched his hand into a fist and pumped it in the air.  
"Alright! This'll be awesome!"

"We won't let you down, sir," Tsubaki added.

"Very well. In that case, your plane leaves Death City at midnight. Until then, go back to class."

Black Star's face fell at the word "class" and he grudgingly left the room with Tsubaki trailing behindhim.

"This sucks. Why can't we just leave now? Who gives a damn about classes?" he complained. "Well, except Maka."

By the time the two got back to class. Sid had taken over, and they'd all been herded outside into the woods, which could only mean one thing.

"Alright! Now this is what I'm talking about!" exclaimed Black Star, attracting everyone's attention as usual.

To clarify, whenever Sid Barett was not on missions for Shinigami-sama, he would be giving the students combat training. At first, the position had been offered to the infamous team of Professor Stein, the Shibusen's best Meister, and Spirit, Maka's father and Death City's resident Deathscythe. However, Stein proved to be a bit too merciless when it came to fighting. He wasn't very good at holding back. Therefore, Sid was the next option, being a three-star Meister himself. Still, he was pretty brutal when it came to training as well, unluckily for the EAT students.

"Try to join us quietly next time," the undead Meister growled as Black Star just waved a hand in the air and Tsubaki kept apologizing for being late and causing a scene.

"It's pretty hard to not get distracted when such a big star walks in," Black Star pointed out matter-of-factly, easily dodging the throwing knife Sid chucked in his direction. "So what're we doing today? Who do I get to beat?"

"Keep that up and I'll pair you with Kid," Sid snapped irritably. "Sit down, both of you."

Black Star obeyed, rolling his eyes as Tsubaki apologized for her partner's behavior. He really didn't see why it was necessary for her to always apologize for him, and he'd told her so. But she hadn't stopped, so he thought _"what the hell?"_ and let her do it anyway.

"Right. Well, today we'll be pushing your bodies to the limit. Especially you Weapons. That's right. We're doing hand to hand combat." The zombie seemed to relish at the grudging and, in some cases, horrified looks on the students' faces. But, naturally, when his eyes landed on Black Star, he saw that the boy wore a smug expression on his face and his partner didn't seem the slightest bit worried.

Who could blame them? This sort of thing was their specialty.

"Right then, I'll be pairing you up according to skill level, starting with Black Star and Tsubaki."

Tsubaki's calm expression vanished as a look of surprise washed over her features. "You mean I have to fight Black Star?"

"Yeah. That's what I said."

Black Star didn't seem the slightest bit phased as he shrugged and got to his feet. "C'mon Tsubaki!"

With a sigh, the Weapon edged her way to the front of the crowd to stand facing her Meister. Suddenly, the dream she'd had popped into her head. She'd had to fight Black Star in her dreams as well, and she'd lost miserably, getting killed every single time.

"No holds barred," Sid announced. "Use any means at your disposal as if it were a real fight. You'll be graded on how much you put into it as well as the outcome. Understood?"

Tsubaki nodded wordlessly, watching Black Star crack his knuckles.  
"I won't be going easy on you, so you might as well go all out, Tsubaki."

All eyes were on the pair of Weapon and Meister who had taken center stage, their classmates gathered around them. Even Patty had stopped humming and had her eyesa glued intently on her friends.

The question that ran through everyone's head was, "Why would Sid make them fight each other?" The purpose of Weapon and Meister partnership was to establish trust, so it didn't make sense for them to be fighting one another.

Fortunately, Maka spoke up, seeing her friend's discomfort with the situation.

"Sid Sensei, I have a question!" she said, raising her hand. "Isn't the whole concept of a partnership between a Weapon and Meister to fight together and not against each other? Won't fighting each other be bad for their Soul Wavelengths."

"In order to fight together to the best of their abilities, they both muust acknowledge each other's weaknesses as well as each other's strength. In other words, it's important to know how strong your partner really is and give them enough credit for it during actual battles," Sid explained. "If you're willing to look at it that way; simply as training, then it will not suffice to damage your Wavelengths in any way."

At a loss for argument, Maka gave Tsubaki an apologetic look as if to say, "I'm all out."

The older girl simply gave her a small smile as she turned back to face Black Star. Seeing as she was a Weapon, she'd have the advantage of being able to turn certain parts of her body into blades, but this was Black Star she was up against. He wasn't bad at using Soul Force and was a pretty unstoppable force even without his Weapon.

The other students also sensed that it would be an interesting fight as well, were on the edge of their seats.

Black Star got into a fighting stance, his body relaxed, and all his senses alert. Of all the people he had to fight, it just had to be Tsubaki: the one person he actually put before himself. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud to anyone. Still, he really didn't want to fight her, but he was the star here, just like he'd always wantedto be, and he couldn't let his fans down.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, was stiffened. She couldn't seem to bring hersself to loosen her body up, which was necessary for any sort of fighting. The thought of having to go against the one she was sworn to protect with her life made her go completely numb, and she barely managed to leap out of the way in time as Black Star attacked.

As far as Black Star's abilities went, Tsubaki was pretty certain she knew the full extent of them, as well as how he would use them. Each punch could be charged with his compressed Soul Wavelength, which meant it would be a bad move to get hit.

Dodging every one of his attacks, Tsubaki couldn't bring herself to hit back. There was no way she could hurt him, even if her grade depended on it.

"Come on, Tsubaki," her partner said through gritted teeth as he swung his leg out and caught her side, knocking the breath out of her. "You can do better than this! I won't appear nearly as big a man if I beat someone who won't fight back."

"I can't," she protested as he flashed behind her and placed his palm against the small of her back and shot a small shock of his Soul Force into her body, sending her skidding forward a few feet.

She realized that he was taking this pretty seriously. Typically, Black Star wasn't one to hold anything back.

And he wouldn't have if it weren't Tsubaki he was fighting. He would have knocked them close to unconscious with that hit of his Soul Force. Anyone else, he would've eagerly fought until one of them ended up in the school's dispensary, but not Tsubaki.

She spun around blocking his next attack with her hand that she'd hardened into a sword blade and hit him in the stomach with a swift kick, all the while apologizing for it with her sad gaze.

By then, most everyone who was watching was holding their breath, wondering who would win. No one had really seen Tsubaki Nakatsukasa fight in her human form before, and the fact that she was holding her own against Black Star left them awestruck.

All except Maka Albarn and four others, who knew well enough how much this bothered Tsubaki. Patty hid slightly behind her sister, who was unconsciously chewing on her bottom lip as they observed the fight between one of the most powerful attack teams in Class Crescent Moon, whom they also called their friends. Meanwhile, their young Shinigami Meister seemed more interested than worried. Seeing this, the twin pistols glanced at each other nervously, praying they wouldn't have to fight Kid, who was swelling with power even without his trusty Weapons. They'd watched him effortlessly take out the Special Units police force right before their eyes, after all. He was one opponent they weren't eager to go up against.

As the fight continued, Sid went around, pairing students up for the next rounds, but people hardly paid the undead Sensei any attention as they were hooked on the fight like moths to a light.

Tsubaki spun and did a backflip to avoid another Soul Force attack from Black Star, who simply pulled out a shuriken, aiming it at her stomach. Catching it between her fingers, she threw it back, and despite ducking out of the way, it still nicked his left cheek, leaving a small cut that began oozing blood.

Wincing at the sight, the girl wanted to just forfeit this and call it off. But knowing Sid, he wouldn't allow such a thing, and knowing her partner, he wouldn't be willing to back down either. At least he still had that confident and determined look in his eye that she was so used to and comfortable with. It was when those eyes changed color that she'd have to worry, for then, he'd become unpredictable and most likely deadly. It happened when he had his mind set on killing.

His attacks kept coming, not missing a beat. He didn't even seem to mind the cut he'd gotten.

Resorting to the last thing she'd wanted to do, Tsubaki converted her long ponytail into a chain and the tip into the blade of a small scythe. Holding the chain in her hand, she lithely did a one handed hand spring and swung out the chain, catching her Meister's arm with the blade accidentally as he moved out of the way. There was way more blood in this than she'd expected. Why couldn't he just stay still?

"Sensei, we should stop them before someone ends up in the Dispensary," Maka said worriedly.

"Well, considering neither of them are going all out on this, I don't think that'll happen," Stein's voice told her frankly.

"Professor? I thought you went on a mission," Maka observed, glancing over at her teacher.

"Spirit and I already finished that," he replied coolly, his eyes trained on Black Star and Tsubaki. _Sid definitely has a different approach to teaching; _ he thought as he observed his students who were barely more than flashes as they dodged, jabbed, kicked, and blocked, not missing a beat the entire time. Really, he was watching their souls.

Black Star seemed to be proud and slightly amazed at his partner's fighting ability, but the boy knew that this wasn't Tsubaki's full potential. Tsubaki, on the other hand, seemed to abhor this more than anything as she went mostly on defense, blocking and dodging her Meister's attacks and only countering with her own when necessary. He knew Sid saw it too, so why didn't he stop them? At this rate, it'd go on forever.

As soon as Stein finished the thought, Black Star blasted Tsubaki with a Soul Force attack, having amped up his speed to get behind her. This time, the Wavelength sent her flying backwards, landing her on her back.

The crowd gasped as one as the Weapon sprung back onto her feet and blocked Black Star's next attack only to be positioned just where he'd wanted her. Grabbing her wrist as she got ready to throw a punch, Black Star twisted her arm behind her, making her wince in pain.

"I win," he stated plainly, releasing her. "Man. Why'd I have to fight you? I had a grand finale planned and everything."

"If it were anyone else, he probably would have put them in the Dispensary for at least a few days," Maka said.

"Believe it or not, the guy actually cares a lot about her," Soul Eater said from beside her. "Plus, it's not like he cares about the grade or anything."  
He bet if it were Maka against him, she'd beat him to a pulp for the good grade. In fact, he had practically no doubt that she would.

"Fine, you're both excused. Next is Ox and Kim," Sid announced.

The tension in the crowd seemed to be released as Tsubaki followed her Meister into the group of students, hanging her head.

"Nice job," Soul congratulated his best friend. "That was a pretty cool fight."

"I had to put on a good show," Black Star grinned, but something in his eyes was amiss, but only Soul Eater Evans seemed to notice.

**A/N: A fight in the very first chapter, so you know it's going to be a cool story!**  
**I'm only kidding... But if you did like it, let me know through reviews, favoriting, and following. I'll update soon. Pinky promise!**


	2. Nightmares, Bathing, and Shades of Gray?

When class was dismissed for lunch, Tsubaaki quietly trailed behind the rest of her friends towards the lunchroom, her eyes downcast as she was drowned in her thoughts. Despite thinking she'd known exactly what to expect, the Weapon hadn't seen half the attacks coming. It wasn't the fact that the moves were any different, but rather how he maneuvered around her. She thought she'd have no trouble keeping up with and blocking his attacks, but that wasn't the case some of the time.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine, Maka," the Weapon answered easily. "I was just thinking."

"It was kind of unexpected to have to fight Black Star, wasn't it?" the girl asked, her green eyes showing sympathy.

"Yes, it sure was," Tsubaki replied. "But it looks like I got the better end of the stick considering you had to fight Liz and Patty."

"Yeah, that was a little unfair," Maka chuckled. "But I still beat them."

"Hey, we were going easy on you since it was two on one, FYI," Liz commented, falling in step with the two girls.

"Well, next time, feel free to give me everything you've got," Maka winked as they reached the cafeteria and got in line. "Hey, do you guys want to come over for a sleepover since it's Friday? We haven't had a girls' night in forever."

"Won't Soul be there though?" asked Liz, grabbing a sandwich from the bar.

"We can kick him out and have him go hang out with Kid and Black Star," Maka giggled.

"Hey, I heard that, Maka. Not cool," Soul called from a few people ahead of them in line.

"Sorry, you guys, but Black Star and I have a mission and we're leaving tonight," Tsubaki told her friends as she moved on in line without getting any food. She found that her appetite was practically nonexistent at the moment.

"Ooh, where're you guys headed this time?" asked Patty as they sat down at an open table.

Black Star and Tsubaki were known to always get missions quite a ways away from Death City, and they usually wouldn't be back for a few days on end, having to spend nights in hotels in cities where their targets were located.

"Shinigami-sama said it's in Japan," said Black Star through a mouthful of food. "I dunno how long we're staying."

"Black Star, swallow before you speak," Liz cringed as his food flew in her direction. "And isn't your family there, Tsubaki?"

"Well, yes, they're in Japan, but..." she trailed off, looking down at the table.

"But what?" Maka pressed, gazing at her friend with curiosity.

"They don't know about Masamune yet," Tsubaki confessed.

The table went silent at the mention of her brother. True, he'd been on the verge of becoming a Kishin, but killing their own brother would be hard on anyone.

"We can visit them on our next trip then," Black Star simply stated, shoveling more food into his mouth. "I don't see why you can't just tell them though."

Maka glowered at him before hitting him with one of her books. "And how would you propose she do that? 'Oh hi mom and dad. It's so nice to see you! By the way, I might have killed my brother a few months ago.' It's not exactly the easiest thing to bring up."

"Okay, but why'd you have to Maka Chop me?" demanded Black Star, rubbing the top of his head.

Shaking her head, she simply put her book away and continued eating her salad.

"Well, we should go get packed, Tsubaki," said Black Star, getting to his feet. "Let's blow off afternoon classes and go get ready."

"But Shinigami-sama..."

"Yeah, yeah. I know what he said," Black Star replied dismissively.

"I don't think we can afford to miss anymore classes," Tsubaki pointed out. "You're kind of behind."

"Yeah, but a big man like me can catch up whenever he wants. I just don't feel like it right now," said her Meister.

"Still..."

"Fine. You can stay if you want. I'm out of here," he grumbled. "Yo, Soul, you comin'?"

Maka gave her partner a threatening look that clearly screamed "DON'T YOU DARE". Getting the message, Soul sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, man. I don't really have a death wish today."

"Whatever. You guys are lame," the assassin shrugged as he strolled towards the window. "I'll catch you later."

Slipping out of the window, he easily jumped from ledge to ledge until he got up to the rooftop of the Shibusen, his favorite place to lay back and think.

The sun was cackling in the sky as the blue-haired assassin flopped lazily on his back and tucked his hands behind his head for comfort. He had to admit, his partner was more capable than he'd ever given her credit for. After all, she was able to keep up with him which was deemed impressive in the mind of the boy with a slightly bloated ego, even if he hadn't gone all out on her. Then there was the fact that she hadn't gone all out on him either.

Black Star laughed humorlessly at himself as he realized that lately, all he'd been thinking about was Tsubaki. How she couldn't sleep at night and always tossed and turned restlessly; how she refused to tell him what was bothering her when it was so obvious from the look in her eyes - he didn't need a sixth sense to know that something was bugging her; and now, how she hadn't been willing to fight to her full potential against him.

"So this is where you've been hiding," said a familiar voice. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Opening one of his eyes, he saw Tsubaki had joined him on the rooftop, a worried expression on her face.

"Well, you found me," he responded. "What's up? I thought you didn't want to miss any more classes."

"I'll have Maka catch me up later," Tsubaki replied, sitting down next to her Meister. "Black Star, is something bothering you?"

_She _was asking _him_ this?

"Nah. Just not in the mood for class," he replied.

"Oh. Well, alright," she said, gazing up at the sky.

Glancing at her, Black Star couldn't help but think how attractive his partner was. Sure, he'd noticed how big her breasts were and even commented on it a few times, only to earn himself a Maka Chop, but when it came to genuine beauty, Tsubaki had it in the bag. Her raven black hair contrasted nicely with her pale complexion, making her features stand out quite boldly. She had a tall nose and her smile could melt practically anyone's heart. No doubt a ton of guys would be all over her if; One, she weren't so shy and reserved, and two, Black Star wasn't her partner. Any guy with half a brain would know that if they slipped up, they'd get assassinated.

"Is annything up with you?" he asked, looking away.

She didn't answer for a second, but put on a smile as she replied, "Not at all. I'm completely fine."

But they both knew that wasn't the case.

"Yeah, well, we should probably go pack for the trip. How long are we even gonna stay there?" asked Black Star, sitting up.

"Only a few days at most, I think," Tsubaki answered. "But we're going to have to do some tracking and research, so I can't be positive."

"An all-expenses-paid visit to Tokyo. I'm gonna eat as much sushi as I can till I puke," Black Star grinned as he jumped to his feet. "Watch out Japan, 'cause a star's about to arrive!"

Tsubaki giggled softly as she got to her feet as well. "Okay then. Let's go pack our bags."

She followed her Meister down the stairs and through the quiet halls of the Academy, which were deserted because everyone was in class. The pair walked on in silence as they exited the Shibusen and made their way to their apartment. By then, Black Star was acting his normal self again, talking about how everyone would pay attention to him and how his fame was now going to be internationally renown.

Tsubaki was glad her partner was smiling and laughing again, but she couldn't shake one single phrase out of her head. It was something that she could remember so vividly from every dream, and the words that she dreaded to ever heat her partner say:_ "You don't know me."_

Luckily, Black Star was too absorbed in his gloating and boasting to really notice anything wrong, but still...

"Hey, Tsubaki," he said, his tone softening as they entered the small apartment they shared.

"Yes?"

"Sorry. I really don't give you enough credit regarding how strong you are."

The Weapon blinked, confused and slightly taken aback. "Thank you. Where's this suddenly coming from, though?"

"Like Sid said, I'm just acknowledging your strength. I thought I'd go ahead and apologize along with it," he grinned.

Tsubaki gratefully returned the smile. Something about the tone of his voice and the way he looked at her instantly made her feel better for some reason, and she was able to shove that one phrase that had been bugging her to the back of her mind. She did know him. This was Black Star, the last remaining member of the Star Clan, yes, but he was also her partner whom she trusted with her very own heart and soul.

"Well, I'll go pack what I need. Want me to get your stuff too?" he added as he walked into the single bedroom they shared.

"Oh, no, that's okay," Tsubaki replied. "I'll make us a quick snack and then I'll go pack. You can go ahead and take the bath too if you'd like. We've got hours before we have to leave."

"Alright, thanks," her partner beamed before heading into the bedroom.

Humming softly to herself, Tsubaki prepared a rather large amount of food so as to make sure none of it expired while they were away. The rest she'd leave for dinner.

After making sure everything tasted okay, she settled onto the couch and picked up a book she'd checked out from the library earlier. Something Liz had recommended to her saying that she'd totally find it intriguing: Fifty Shades of Gray. Despite it being an...interesting book indeed, the poor girl couldn't really focus on the content as her thoughts were hooked on a completely different subject: No other than her own Shadow Weapon Meister, Black Star.

"Hey, Tsubaki."

Jumping, she snapped out of her trance to see Black Star standing in the kitchen, shirtless, with a towel around his neck and his blue hair dripping wet.

"Erm...yes?" she responded, sounding a bit dazed.

"Bath's open," he replied, jabbing his finger in the direction of the bathroom.

She put the book down on the couch and got up. "Thank you. I'll start on dinner when I'm finished."

Black Star just shrugged as she disappeared down the hallway, looking curiously at the book she'd been reading.

"Wow. Are there really that many shades of gray out there?" he wondered aloud as he picked up the abandoned novel.

Tsubaki, who was getting undressed, immediately wrapped herself in a towel and went back out to fetch the book before he could read another word.

"It's an art book," she said quickly as she took it from his grasp. "You wouldn't like it."

Cocking an eyebrow, he watched her swiftly retreat back down the hallway and shook his head. He didn't know what was up with her anymore. Was she mad because he beat her in a fight?

Dismissing it with a shrug, he started doing press ups, figuring he'd work out and build a little stamina before diving into a mission. Besides, for Black Star, it'd kind of become a way of relaxing. Pushing his body to the limit was almost something the boy did naturally.

Tsubaki, on the other hand, was once again left alone with her thoughts. Well, maybe some of the stuff in that book stuck in her brain after all. And weirdly, her thoughts about Black Star were mixed with the contents of that strange book, and suddenly she was having romantic fantasies about her Meister.

It wasn't like she hadn't thought of Black Star in a romantic way before. It'd crossed her mind, but she'd quickly disposed of those thoughts, convincing herself that it was more important to train and become a Deathscythe, as well as being there for him as he worked towards his dream of surpassing god. However, a few daydreams snuck into her mind now and then, and she couldn't say she really minded. Her Shadow Weapon Meister was undeniably attractive and, despite not having a clue about romance, he could sometimes be charming in his own way.

Taking a deep breath to clear her head, Tsubaki got out of the bath and went to get dressed. Once finished, she went out to prepare dinner.

Black Star was doing one handed press ups, dripping with sweat. With his free hand, he waved at her with an easy grin, which for some reason made her heart jump.

Stupid book...

"Thanks for the snacks. They were delicious," he said as he sprung himself back onto his feet. "I'm gonna go out for a bit. You want anything?"

"No, not that I can think of," Tsubaki replied.

"'kay. In that case, I'll be back," her Meister stated, slipping on a hoodie and jumping out the window.

Gazing after him worriedly, she wondered where he was off to. Usually, if it was training, he'd obviously take her with him. Their fighting backgrounds and styles were rather similar, so they went through pretty much the same drills. And he usually left grocery shopping to Tsubaki, who'd insisted on it (mostly because he didn't really know the first thing about choosing vegetables). Even if he went to play basketball with the guys, he'd ask if she wanted to come with him.

Her brows furrowing in concern, Tsubaki contemplated following him. If she was careful enough, she could pull it off since he didn't have Soul Perception, but his heightened senses would make it hard to remain unnoticed. So she instead decided to start on preparing dinner. She knew she could trust him, but it wasn't like Black Star to be so elusive. Part of her was proud that he was beginning to act more like a dark assassin, but that left the zone of the Black Star she knew and loved unoccupied.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Weapon Meister lithely sprung from rooftop to rooftop with ease, his bare feet hardly feeling what was beneath them as he made his way across the city to Soul and Maka's apartment.

As he approached, he spotted Maka in her room, studying. Trying to restrain from yelling "nerd" really loudly, he swung onto her windowsill, causing the unsuspecting Meister to fall out of her chair.

"B..Black Star?" she demanded, springing to her feet. "What the hell? Next time use the front door. Soul's not home right now, anyway."

"Good. I need to talk to you."

Maka blinked, squinting at him through her ash blonde hair. This wasn't the Black Star you saw everyday. He only used that tone when he was serious about something.

"It's about Tsubaki," he added, stepping into her room. "She's been acting kinda weird lately and I was wondering if you knew anything."

"Why don't you just ask her?" Maka asked, sitting back down. "Honestly, she's your partner."

"Like Soul tells you everything," he snapped.

He wasn't wrong. When he'd kept that dream about the demon from her, it was really bothersome. And he wouldn't tell her what was wrong.  
"He tells me enough. I trust him, and that's what matters," she told him.

"So does that mean you don't know or are you not willing to tell me?" Black Star demanded, crossing his arms.

"Well, she's mentioned a weird dream she's been having," Maka replied thoughtfully. "I don't know the details, but apparently, she keeps having the same nightmare over and over again."

"She didn't tell you what it was about?"

The girl shook he head. "I wish I knew."

"Alright. Thanks, Maka," Black Star grinned, walking over to the window. "I owe you one."

"Use the door!" she yelled as he jumped out and headed towards the basketball court.

Kid and Soul were playing one-on-one while Liz was reading a fashion magazine on the bleachers and Patty was coloring a picture next to her.

"Hey, what're you doing here, Black Star?" Liz inquired, looking up from her magazine. "Aren't you supposed to be prepping for your mission?"

"There's nothing to prep," the boy shrugged. "We go there. We find him. We kick his ass. That's all there is to it, so why not relax in the meantime?


	3. The Last Star Clan Member? NOT!

The Shadow Weapon Meister and his Demon Weapon perched quietly on the ledge located on the thirty first floor of a hotel in central Tokyo. Their suspected target was located in a building not too far away, but try as he might, Black Star couldn't pick up on a Kishin soul through Tsubaki.

Having arrived at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo a few hours before morning, Tsubaki had eventually convinced her Meister that they should use the darkness to their advantage to scout out possible targets. So far, the pair had investigated five men, all viable assassins, but none were Kishins.

"Man, how many assassins can there be around here?" Black Star complained as he broke resonance with Tsubaki and released her hand. "How am I supposed to be the center of attention now?"

Grateful for the shadows that concealed them, Tsubaki tried to cool the heat that had risen to her cheeks when Black Star had told her she didn't need to transform into Weapon Form and, instead, took her hand in order to resonate with her. She glanced over at her partner, a smile playing on her lips.

"You always find a way," she told him.

They gave the man one last glance before retreating inside through an open window on the floor below. By then, the sun was rising, setting the city's horizon ablaze.

Tsubaki gazed at the sunrise in awe. "Isn't it pretty?"

Black Star shrugged and headed towards the elevator and playfully scolding her. "We don't have time for sightseeing, Tsubaki. We've got an assassin to assassinate, so let's roll."

With a smile, she followed her Meister down the hallway and took the elevator down to the first floor.

The clerk, an old man who looked to be friendly enough, gave them a small smile, chuckling to himself. "How young they are these days."

Black Star just ignored him altogether, but Tsubaki looked over at the sign and saw that this was a honeymoon hotel. She'd heard rumors and stories about these, but she never imagined she'd ever set foot in one. Especially with Black Star. Her face turned bright red, she hurried out the door, getting herself a questioning look from Black Star.

"Who's next on the list?" he asked her.

Tsubaki pulled out a sheet of paper from her bra and looked it over. Impressively, they'd gone through most of the list. There was only one person left.

"His name's Kaname, also known as Raven. No last name listed, and he's apparently very elusive for such a well-known assassin," she informed him. "He only takes the most high paying and dangerous jobs."

"Finally, a good opponent! If I beat him, I'm sure to be the star!" Black Star beamed. "Where do we find this prick?"

"Kyoto," she replied. "From what I found out, he's on a mission there right now."

"Awesome! We get to take one of those bullet train things!" her Meister exclaimed, jumping into the air. "Soul would be so freaking jealous. Let's go Tsubaki."

They were getting a lot of stares, but Black Star seemed to be enjoying the attention, as always, as they made their way to the Shinkansen station.

Once they went through the protocol stuff and got their tickets, they boarded the train and found a quiet car. As people passed by their seats, they would giggle and whisper to one another, trying to appear inconspicuous. But to the Shibusen students with heightened senses, they could hear every word said.

Tsubaki couldn't help but blush a deeper red every time someone said the two made a cute couple; a blush that she tried desperately to hide from her partner, who could also hear every word that was uttered, but didn't really care. So what if people thought they were dating? It wasn't like Tsubaki wasn't pretty, so he didn't exactly mind. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd mind if they actually started dating.

Eventually, the train started and people stopped moving around. The pair sat in silence, Tsubaki looking out the window and Black Star crossing his arms across his chest and closing his eyes. He hadn't gotten any sleep on the plane ride here, so the boy was considerably exhausted. Not to mention he was so worried about Tsubaki, who had been sleeping next to him most of the plane ride. She'd looked so distressed; sadness, despair, and...something else distorted her beautiful features. He wished he could have done something for her, but he couldn't really help if she didn't tell him what was going on. And Black Star hated feeling useless.

The next thing he knew, Tsubaki was tapping him on the shoulder to tell him that they'd reached their destination.

"So we're headed to a temple?" Black Star asked as they walked the rest of the way on foot. "I thought you said this guy was on a mission."

"I couldn't find out very much, but someone important is supposed to be visiting the temple today, and that's supposedly Kaname's target," Tsubaki replied. "Black Star, we have to stop him before he devours another soul and becomes even stronger."

"Yeah, I know that," her Meister replied, his voice laid back and carefree. "It'll be a breeze!"

Sighing, Tsubaki followed him towards Sanjusangendo Temple, located in the eastern part of Kyoto. The two got attention, not because Black Star was being loud and somewhat obnoxious (which he usually was a lot of the time), but because the star-shaped tattoo on Black Star's right arm. Apparently, the Star Clan was even more infamous here than around Death City.

Fortunately, they made it to the temple without any confrontations, and headed inside. Immediately, the dark assassin could sense something slightly amiss about the place. His partner, on the other hand, didn't seem to pick up on anything as she went about admiring the statues while looking for anything out of the ordinary.

Shaking his head disapprovingly, Black Star climbed onto a ledge jutting out of the wall and took a deep breath.

"HEY EVERYONE IT'S THE GREAT BLACK STAR HERE AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE SHOW OF A LIFETIME! WHERE ARE YOU KANAME! STOP PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK AND COME FIGHT ME!"

That sure attracted attention, but not exactly the kind of attention he'd wanted.

Security guards came jogging around the corner with unpleasant looks on their faces. Not that Black Star cared, but they might get in his way.

"Young man, get down from there immediately!" one of the guards shouted. "This is a temple, not a playground."

"That's no way to talk to someone who's gonna surpass god one day," the boy replied, leaping down from the ledge and landing in a crouch. "Besides, it's quiet and boring in here. "This place needs a star to brighten it up!"

"Black Star, please..." Tsubaki pleaded as she turned to the guards. "We're not looking for any trouble, really. We're just from out of town."

"Some place you're from..." the man muttered. "Keep it down. I don't want to hear another commotion from you two."

"Yes, sir. I'm really sorry," Tsubaki said before Black Star could get a word out.

The guards dispersed and went back to their business as the Weapon let out a sigh of relief.

"Those guys wouldn't know talent if it hit them in the face," Black Star laughed, jokingly cracking his knuckles. "But that guy still hasn't..."

He trailed off as he saw movement between the statues and immediately went on guard.

Tsubaki caught it too and did the same as the two stood back to back. The whole temple had appeared to be cleared out, and it was only the two of them standing amidst the statues.

Another movement on the other side of the room caught his eye and Black Star sprung into action. "Tsubaki."

"Right," she nodded, turning into a kazarigama and falling into Black Star's hands.

Before they knew it, their opponent was airborne and Black Star managed to dodge his sword by a centimeter or two.

The boy seemed about the same age as the two Shibusen students, with black hair shrouding half his face and tied back in a short ponytail, blood red eyes, and pale skin. He was clad in all black, his hands ornamented with black leather gloves. When he smiled, his teeth were pointed, much like Soul Eater's and, despite the hungry look in his eyes, he seemed to be very much in control as he landed on top of one of the statues with shocking balance.

"So, you've finally arrived," the stranger said in a smooth voice, bearing his shark teeth as he smiled.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Black Star replied, lunging at the boy.

Kaname moved out of the way in a flash and appeared behind Black Star, leaving him only a few seconds to duck in order to avoid Kaname's sword. Doing a handspring, Black Star called for Tsubaki's ninja sword mode and deflected his opponents next blow while aiming a punch at Kaname's solar plexus, sending him skidding back a few inches.

"They've really let their members slip," Kaname coughed, easily blocking Black Atar's next punch.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the boy demanded, not missing a beat as he attempted to elbow Kaname in the face.

"The Star Clan," he replied, his voice still casual as he blocked attack after attack, countering with his own only when he knew he could hit his mark. "Isn't that what the tattoo symbolizes?"

"Why don't you just tell us who you are?" Tsubaki asked.

"Oh, and now you use Demon Weapons." He landed a hard kick in Black Star's stomach followed by hitting him in the jaw with the hilt of his sword.

"Black Star! Are you alright?" his Weapon inquired with concern.

He didn't answer her as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and glared at the Kishin egg in front of him. Yeah. He'd definitely be the center of attention once he beat this dude.

"I'm going to be the biggest star around here," Black Star stated. "You have no chance of beating a man as big as me."

Kaname couldn't hold in his laughter if he tried. "Your ego is far bigger than it should be for someone of your skill level."

Black Star grimaced. "Let's finish this guy off. Uncanny Sword Mode, Tsubaki."

"Okay." The Weapon transformed into a long sword with a black blade sparking with energy.

"Puppet Thrust," Black Star ordered.

The shadow, in the form of a beam of black energy shot towards Kaname, who was able to step out of the way and deflect it with his blade as he ran at Black Star.

"Branch out!" Black Star cried.

The beam branched out, cutting into Kaname's skin and tearing his clothes. He fell for the exact same trick that tripped Black Star up the first time he fought Masamune.

"Useful trick," Kaname commented as he recovered from the blow and dodged the next attack which was the Puppet Shadow. Even with two against one , this guy was doing pretty well.

"Who are you?" Tsubaki demanded. "How are you associated with the Star Clan?"

"Quite the curious Weapon you've got," Kaname chuckled. "I used to be part of the Star Clan."

As he finished the sentence, he'd left an opening and Black Star cut him across the chest, causing his body to disintegrate, leaving a glowing red orb floating midair.

"Well, he was kind of a letdown," Black Star shrugged. "But I never expected that much. He didn't stand a chance against a big a man as me."

"Aren't you curious about what he said about being apart of the Star Clan?" Tsubaki asked, returning to her human form. "Maybe there are more people."

"There's no proof that he was even part of the Star Clan," Black Star replied. "Chances are, he was just bluffing."

Despite saying this in a casual tone, he hardly believed the words coming out of his own mouth. The chance of members of the Star Clan were still out there... Black Star didn't know how to feel about it, honestly.

Tsubaki collected the soul and glanced over at her partner. "Well, we should probabl check in with Shinigami-sama and head back."

"How about we go hang out first? It's not everyday we get to come to Japan, right?"

Blinking, Tsubaki broke into a smile. "Really?"

"Of course! Not enough people have seen my greatness yet, therefore, we owe it to my fans to make an appearance!"

She had no idea what fans he was talking about, or who he was planning to show his greatness to, but she nodded and smiled. "Okay. Where should we start?"

"Aren't you the expert around here?" he asked with a crooked grin. "I'll let you take the lead this time."

"Well, alright," she smiled. "I'm honored."

The two then began their Japanese adventure, starting with Osaka's Universal Studios. Japan was rather modern compared to Death City, and even Tsubaki was astounded at how much her home had changed from when she'd left. **  
**

Once they got inside, Black Star proceeded to get over excited about everything, dragging her on practically every ride. They eventually ended up on the ferris wheel as the sun began to set on the horizon. Tsubaki couldn't help but think of all the romance novels she'd read. This felt like a scene from any classic teen romance.

Black Star noticed the odd look in her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you feeling okay?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

"I bet you're excited about being on a date with such a big star," he beamed, only half joking.

Tsubaki's eyes widened. "A... A date?"

"I'm just kidding," laughed Black Star, but his eyes told a completely different story.

However, Tsubaki was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to notice. As they neared the top, the ride stopped to let people off and Black Star stood up, opening the roof hatch.

"What are you doing?" Tsubaki asked.

"Check this out," he grinned climbing onto the roof and standing with his hands on his hips.

"Hear me, Japan! Black Star is here and you should all come see the show while it lasts!" he shouted, swinging back into the cart as the ride began moving again.

Tsubaki let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as he sat down beside her.

"You had a good time, didn't you?" Black Star asked, glancing sideways at his partner. "You can be honest."

She met his gaze and smiled. "Of course, I had no idea amusement parks could be so fun."

He returned the smile genuinely, his determined gaze softening as he began, almost unconsciously, closing the distance between them.

Tsubaki didn't seem to mind and she held his gaze as his face got closer and closer to hers. Suddenly, the wall that was held between them seemed to gradually crumble down, leaving the two vulnerable to each other.

As his lips were just inches away from hers, the doors slid open and the employee cleared his throat.

They both jumped and got up, exiting the ride, while both blushing madly.

Tsubaki's heart was still racing as the walked pass a mirror and she remembered that they were supposed to report to Shinigami-sama.

"Wait, Black Star," she said, stopping in front of the glass and fogging it up with her breath."We have to report to Shinigami-sama that we completed our mission."

"Sure, go ahead," Black Star replied. "I'm gonna go grab something to eat. Want anything?"

"No thanks," she replied. "I'll wait for you back here."

Before she could finish the sentence, he'd already disappeared into the crowd.

Turning back to the mirror, she wrote in the Death Room number: 42-42-564.

It rang a few times before Shinigami-sama appeared on the other end. "Hiya, Tsubaki! Congratulations. He was a toughie, huh?"

"Well, yes, but ultimately, we got the soul, sir," she replied, feeling proud of her Meister. "We should be heading back tomorrow morning, if that's alright."

"Yes, of course. You can stay as long as necessary," replied Shinigami-sama.

"Sir. Can I ask you a question?" Tsubaki started. Maybe he knew if that boy was really part of the Star Clan.

"Shoot."

"The boy you sent us after claimed to be a former member of the Star Clan. Do you know anything about that?" she inquired.

"Actually, he wasn't lying," Shinigami-sama responded. "At the time, we didn't execute young children who belonged to the Star Clan, and Black Star wasn't the only one there was. Some children had been shipped away to places that our sources couldn't reach, while others were put into normal families and are currently being monitored. However, we decided to take Black Star in. It was initially Stein's idea."

"You mean, he _isn't _the last remaining descendant of the Star Clan?" she gasped. "But... Why hasn't anyone told him?"

"Well, because of the fear that those children we spared could theoretically group up and decide to continue the clan's legacy," was the response. "The Shibusen would be at great risk if that were to happen."

"But Black Star would never be apart of that," Tsubaki argued. "I'm sure he'd be fighting right alongside the rest of us."

"There are things about him that even you don't know, child," Shinigami-sama solemnly informed her. "And I'm afraid there's a chance that if he knew the truth, trouble would ensue."

Tsubaki bit her lip and nodded her understanding. "So I'm not to tell him, then?"

"I'm sorry to burden you with the secret, however..."

She wordlessly nodded her understanding as Shinigami-sama disconnected the call. Her eyes became downcast and she shook her head. She half wished she hadn't asked, as she didn't want to keep a secret from her own partner.

Noticing that Black Star hadn't returned, she scanned the crowd for any sign of him. He wasn't that hard to miss, so she was a bit worried that she couldn't locate her Meister anywhere.

Still, she waited patiently, her hands folded in front of her as her eyes continued to roam the crowd for any sign of Black Star.


	4. Holding You Back?

He was always told that he was the last remaining member of the Star Clan; that everyone else had been executed because of their crimes against Shinigami-sama and the Shibusen. So either that guy was bluffing, or he was telling the truth, and Black Star was planning to find out either way.

Still, even as he weaved his way through the crowd and out of Universal Studios, he resented himself for leaving Tsubaki behind, but to him, it wasn't really right to involve her in family matters, especially when his family was made up of deadly assassins. If he'd said anything, though, she would have either refused to let him go or insist on going with him. Neither of those options were acceptable to the young assassin.

Yet, when he finally got outside, he had little to no clue where to start looking.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to pay one of their earlier suspects a visit. Since that Kaname guy was such a big deal, somebody should be able to give him a little information. He'd worry about forcefully extracting information when he got there.

Despite not being able to remember much when it came to academic, profiling targets came to Black star pretty easily, and he easily found his target in a bar, conveniently in Kyoto.

The second the man stepped outside, Black Star decked him and heaved him into a back alley.

"Who the hell do you think you are, kid?" he demanded, pulling out throwing knives.

"If you want to fight in exchange for information, I'm not gonna turn the offer down," Black Star grinned, cracking his knuckles. "But I gotta warn you, you're gonna lose against a big a man as me."

The man, who was in his early twenties with messy brown hair and deep set brown eyes, grimaced and got ready to attack when he saw the tattoo on Black Star's shoulder and cringed.  
"Y..you're one of them?" he stammered, looking at the younger boy in fear. "What do you want from me?!"

"I just want a little information," Black Star answered.

"What kind of information?"

"Anything you know about a guy named Kaname."

"You mean Raven? What do you want to know about him for?" the man asked.

"That doesn't really matter. You gonna tell me or not?" demanded Black Star, his pupils briefly flashing into white stars.

"Yeah. Okay. I'll tell you!" the man agreed, frightfully. "All I know is that he's part of the Star Clan, just like you. He had the tattoo and everything. He's one of the best in the area and no one's been able to take him down."

"Do you know about any other members of the Star Clan?"

"N...no. I swear I don't!" was the response. "You're the only other one I've met publicly bearing that mark."

"Fine. Thanks for the info," Black Star shrugged as he turned and began walking away.

Hearing the sound of a knife whizzing towards him, the stuck his hand out and caught it before it could pierce the back of his neck.

"You'll never beat a big star like me," Black Star stated without turning around. "But thanks for the knife."

Disappearing into the shadows, Black Star decided to go back and see if Tsubaki was still waiting around. To his surprise, she was still standing there when he returned about an hour later, despite the fact that the park was pretty much deserted.

"Hi. Welcome back," she greeted him.

Taken aback, even the big talker could barely choke out a simple, "Hey."

"You're not hurt, are you?" Tsubaki asked with concern.

"No way can anything touch me," Black Star beamed, twirling his new knife between his fingers.

"Where'd you get the knife?"

"Some guy I beat up."  
Half lie...

His partner just shook her head as she followed him out of the the park.

Tsubaki refrained from asking her Meister for the details right away. but it was bothering her more than she could handle. Still, she waited until the'd checked into a room at a rather big and popular hotel.

"Erm... Black Star?" she asked as he flopped down on the bed, his face expressionless.

"Hmm?"

"I didn't mind waiting, but what were you doing?"

There was a long silence before he finally spoke up, his voice low. "I don't know."

She sat down on the bed beside him and gave him a questioning look as he sat up and met her gaze. The usually confident and determined look in his eyes was gone, replaced by confusion and, if she wasn't mistaken, vulnerability.

"I really don't know Tsubaki. Part of me wants to find out if there are still remaining members of my family, and part of me says I should just leave it alone," he said. "I've always trusted that they were telling me the truth, but..."

Now it was Tsubaki's turn to be speechless. She didn't know how to tell him. And she'd promised Shinigami-sama that she wouldn't tell him the truth.

"Whatever you choose, you know I'll support you," was all she could say.

Sighing, Black Star looked down at the ground. "Dammit."

"Black Star—"

"You know that if I decide to leave the Shibusen, you'll have to find a new partner, right?" he interrupted.

Her gaze turned downcast as she fiddled with her thumbs. "I..."

"And how lame would that be? There's no way you could find a Meister as strong as me in a million years," he grinned.

"Listen, you don't have to stay for me, Black Star. If you really want to go and find your family, then you should. I don't want to hold you back..."

He met her eyes, his gaze so intense that it made her heart race. "The purpose of a Weapon is to amplify their Meister's strength. If you held me back, I wouldn't have stuck with you until now."

At that, Tsubaki's heart swelled with joy and she wished she could reach over and hug him. Instead, she gave him a gentle and grateful smile as she got up and got a towel from the closet, telling him she'd go wash up.

As she left, Black Star laid back down with a huff, staring up at the ceiling. Suddenly, all those times people had said that he'd been holding her back hit him like a ton of bricks and he practically felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. He hadn't seen it before; he'd been simply oblivious to their words, too absorbed in himself. But the more he thought about her, the more he realized the truth. She was such a strong and capable Weapon. Not only was she powerful and adaptable as a Weapon, but she was also a skilled fighter in her human form. He had no doubt that she could easily be a solo Weapon like Justin Law, who had graduated the Shibusen and became a Deathscythe when he was only thirteen without ever needing a Meister.

Closing his eyes, Black Star forced himself to go to sleep. He'd need the rest for the trip back to Death City the following day.

* * *

"So how'd the assignment go?" Soul asked, taking his seat in front of Black Star in Class Crescent Moon.

"We had it in the bag," Black Star replied. "No problem."

The boys did their signature handshake as Stein rolled into the classroom on his favorite chair.

"Good morning, class," he smiled gleefully. "Black Star, I never thought I'd be asking this, but do you know if Tsubaki plans on coming to class today?"

The assassin blinked, looking over at his partner's empty seat. "I swear she walked in right behind me, professor! I don't know where she went."

"Well, that's alright. She'll be missing out on then lecture," the professor drawled, adjusting the screw in his head.

As if Black Star could pay attention at all after that. It was so uncharacteristic of his partner to miss class. Despite knowing that she could take care of herself, he was still worried about her. After all, despite it being a bit backwards, he was used to protecting her and standing up for her.

"Hey, professor! I have to go to the bathroom!" Black Star whined, waving his hand high in the air.

"You're missing out on the best part if you leave now," Stein told him with a frown. "But sure. You're excused."

Bounding the stairs, Black Star shot out of the room faster than you could say "big".

Running down the hallways, he checked everywhere for Tsubaki, but to no avail. The Demon Weapon was nowhere to be found. His stomach churning, he climbed to the roof and the last spark of hope he'd had left died when he didn't find her there.

On his way back to class, he caught a glimpse of Tsubaki coming out of the Death Room with a solemn expression on her face.

"Hey, what happened?" he questioned, falling in step with her. "You left out of nowhere."

After a few seconds, she nodded. "I'm sorry if I made you worry."

He pretended to scoff. "As if. But if anything happened to my Weapon, I'd be screwed."

Tsubaki sighed as they returned to class. Some things never changed with Black Star: His insensitivity was one of them.

Classes dragged on, and the last thing on Tsubaki's mind was the lesson. She kept replaying the conversation she'd had with Shinigami-sama over and over in her mind without knowing why. Maybe she was trying to find some sort of loophole, or maybe she just thought it would eventually fade away if she played it through enough times.

_"He's shown complete loyalty to the Shibusen. There's no reason to doubt him, so why can't he be told the truth?" Tsubaki demanded, a determined look in her eyes. _

_"My, Tsubaki. I've never seen you so worked up about something," commented Shinigami-sama. "However, we don't plan on keeping it a secret forever. Once he is old enough to understand our reasons, we'll tell him the entire truth. Until then, it's safer to keep things the way they are, okay?"_

There wasn't much she could do but accept his decision, but that didn't make it any easier to keep it from her Meister. She glanced over at him, seeing his mouth twisted in a grimace and his brows furrowed with concentration as he actually took notes for once. She really liked it when he actually put his mind to things. Even if he did manage to get zeros on every exam, she happily stayed up to help him study for them every single time. But even with exams coming up, Black Star taking notes was a pretty odd sight. She even noticed Soul Eater glancing up at his best friend with raised eyebrows.

When class was finally over, Tsubaki was the one who hadn't written a single thing down, much to her despair. Considering today wasn't a dissection lab, she was depressed that she missed it.

"Here," said Black Star's voice, making her look up. He was holding out his notebook to her, a grin on his face. "You need 'em to study for the test right?"

She blinked, slightly confused as she took the notebook from his hand.

"Well, we can study together like we usually do," Tsubaki suggested with a smile.

Her Meister only shook his head. "Nah. I'm studying with Maka. I'll be home later. You don't have to wait up."

Tsubaki nodded, but her smile faded as he and Maka walked out of the room together, both waving goodbye to her. She was glad they were getting along, but...

"Hey, you okay?" Soul asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she replied, gathering her things. "I'll see you later, Soul-kun. I have to study for the test."

The scythe stared after her curiously. So both of them were acting weird now. And was it him, or did their Wavelengths sound like they were slipping just the slightest bit?

After having made it out of the classroom, Tsubaki headed home, clutching her books to her chest as she walked down the Shibusen's front steps. Knowing that Black Star and Maka had known each other before she'd met either of them, it shouldn't surprise her that they'd hang out sometime, but when they were with the group, they didn't seem to be all that close and they were always bickering.

She couldn't help but wonder if she was that bad a teacher that Black Star would seek help from Maka. She was the only one who knew he actually studied for every test, despite always getting the lowest grade possible on all of them.

Trying to hold back a little green monster called jealousy, Tsubaki opened the door to the apartment she shared with Black Star and set her books down on the small table they had by the window.

Sitting down, she picked up the notebook Black Star had handed her and smiled to herself as she flipped it open. It was undeniable that her Meister had pretty bad handwriting, but Tsubaki was used to it so she had it easy as she looked over everything she'd missed in class that day while zoning out. She was used to taking care of Black Star, and it was usually him that looked off of her notes (not that she wasn't grateful for everything her Meister did do for her, like putting her safety first in battle and giving her more confidence than she thought she could ever have) but the smaller things like this really made her stomach flutted and put a smile on her face. It didn't happen too often though, considering Black Star wasn't the mushy sincere type, but Tsubaki liked him just the way he was.

After looking over everything that was supposed to be on the test, she got up and stretched while still smiling, and went to prepare dinner. Not only did she have to thank him for giving her the notes, she also wanted to reward him for putting forth the effort to study with one of the best students in class.

Just as she pulled the last ingredient out of the fridge, the phone rang, and Tsubaki cheerily answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tsubaki. It's Soul," said the person on the other line.

"Oh, hello, Soul. Is everything okay?" She could hear Black Star yelling something in the background, but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Keep it down, would you?" Soul said away from the microphone before returning to his conversation with Tsubaki. "Black Star's staying for dinner over here so he says you don't have to cook for him."

"Ask her if she wants to come over," Maka's voice called.

"Okay. Maka says you can come over too if you want," Soul reported.

"Alright. If you're sure that's okay, I'll be over soon," Tsubaki replied.

"'Course it's cool. See you in a bit."

She hung up the phone and let out a heavy sigh as she returned all the ingredients she'd gotten out to the place she'd found them before heading out to the apartment Maka shared with her Weapon partner, Soul.

Meanwhile, her Meister wasn't having the best of luck studying with his childhood friend.

"How the hell am I supposed to remember all this?" Black Star groaned. "A big man like me shouldn't have to waste his time on petty schoolwork like this dammit!"

"You asked for my help, so shut up and memorize those dates," Maka replied calmly. "And you're not getting any food until you can recite them start to finish."

"Makaaaa, c'mon! I thought we were friends here!"

"I don't have much of a choice considering you came to me on such short notice," she retorted. "Now hurry up! Your food's gonna get cold."

"How 'bout I spar you for my dinner. I'll even let you use Soul. Come on!"

Soul Eater, who was watching the scene from the kitchen shook his head in hopelessness. "Black Star, all your yelling's giving me a headache and that's not cool. Just shut up and study."

"Stay out of it!" the two snapped at him in unison.

With a sigh, Soul took off his oven mitts and went to open the door which Tsubaki had knocked on a few seconds ago.

"Hey. Thank god you finally made it," he grinned. "It's crazy in here."

"Hey, give me that!" Maka cried as Black Star snatched the bag of chips from her hand. "Black Star!"

"So how's the studying going?" Tsubaki questioned, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"Great! We just...have..to finish...one more thing on the agenda," Maka grunted as she tried to tug the chips from the assassin's death grip.

"I'll memorize the stupid dates, but I'm starving," shrugged Black Star.

Tsubaki was a bit surprised. They'd managed to get through the whole stidy guide Stein had given them in a few hours. And knowing Maka, she wouldn't have let him pass unless he really got the material.

"Fine," Maka huffed, giving up on the tug-of-war. "You win."

The oven dinged and Soul went to retrieve the lasagna, setting it down carefully on the table.

"Dinner is served," he grinned.


	5. Studying, Cuddling, and TsuSoul? Nah!

_*Earlier That Day...*_

When the bell finally rang for lunch, students crowded out the doorway of class Crescent Moon, eager to get to the cafeteria to get the good food before it was all gone. However, there was one pair of students who hung back behind the others, stopping just outside of the classroom as their peers were swept down the hall by the crowd of people.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" Maka asked when the hallway had finally cleared out and it was just her and Black Star.

He looked at her uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. "Could you do me a favor?"

The girl blinked in confusion. It was usually her and Soul that called in favors from their assassin friend, but Black Star asking for anything was unusual.  
"Sure. Let's hear it."

"Help me get a good grade on the upcoming exam."

Maka's jaw dropped as she gaped dumbfounded at her friend.  
"Could...could you say that again? I'm not sure I heard you right," she stuttered.

"Fine, but listen close 'cause I won't say it a third time," he snapped. "I need your help passing this exam."

Her gaze softened as she gazed at Black Star, who was still avoiding any chance of meeting her eyes as he leaned against the wall.  
"I'll help you, but can I ask you why?"

He glanced at her with a grin. "Maybe I think it's time for me to outshine even you in academics, but I need a little boost."

They looked at each other for few seconds before bursting into laughter, both knowing full and well that Black Star couldn't care less about doing well in school. He never had, even when he was younger.

"Okay, come over tonight after school and get ready for the hardest training you've ever gone through," Maka smiled as she began walking towards the cafeteria. "In the meantime, we should probably go grab something to eat before all the food's gone."

"Oh, crap!" exclaimed Black Star, taking off at a sprint. "I'm starving!"

* * *

The four Shibusen students ate dinner in relative silence, marveling at how good Soul's cooking actually was when he actually tried and didn't have Blair constantly pestering him.

"Don't you usually have to tutor Soul, Maka-chan?" asked Tsubaki as she took a dainty bite of her food.

"Yeah, but it's fine," the Scythe Meister replied with a smile. "This unit was pretty easy, so he'll manage without me, right Soul?"

"Not cool, Maka," her Weapon mumbled, the slightest hint of redness rising to his cheeks. "You make me sound like some kind of problem student."

"Well, we don't want you getting strip searched again," she giggled. "How's your studying coming, Tsubaki?"

"Oh, it's going well, thanks to the notes Black Star gave me," she smiled at her Meister who was a little too busy eating to return it, so he just gave her a thumbs up.

"Slow down or you're gonna get sick," Maka snapped, glaring at him.

Sticking his tongue out, Black Star obliged, much to Tsubaki's curiosity. He usually never listened to anyone, not even her. Why were he and Maka suddenly so close? She felt her stomach doing flips as she got to her feet and picked her plate up.  
"I can do the dishes if you want," she smiled.

"No way, Tsubaki, you're a guest," Maka protested, but the older girl just smiled as she turned on the water.

"You two get back to studying," Soul said, standing up. "I'll help Tsubaki with the dishes."

Maka raised an eyebrow at her partner. She usually had to bug him pretty much all day to get him to do the chores. But Soul just waved dismissively as he cleaned up the table and walked over to the kitchen.

"Hey," he simply said as he slid the dishes into the sink and picked up a towel to start drying.

"Hi," she replied halfheartedly.

"You know, if I had to guess, I'd say he's doing this for you."

Tsubaki's eyes widened as she gaped at her friend at a loss for words.

"Wh...what do you mean?" she finally managed to choke out.

"It's just a theory, so don't quote me on this, but the only reason I can think of for Black Star to be working so hard on something he's announced as useless crap on several occasions, is you," Soul told her. He didn't even know if that was the reason she was so down, but he had to give it a shot.

"That can't be right," Tsubaki murmured, her eyes fixed on the plate she'd been holding for several minutes now. "Why?"

"Beats me," shrugged the scythe, gently taking the blade from her hands. "Besides, it wouldn't be very cool to give everything away. You should find some things out on your own."

She gave him a small, but grateful smile, attempting to blow a few loose strands of hair out of face since her hands were wet.

"Need some help with that?" Soul chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ear with his free hand.

Blushing slightly, she muttered a thanks before they resumed washing and drying the dinner plates in silence.

On the other hand, Maka and Black Star weren't doing so well.

"Soul...!" growled his Meister, glaring at the pair from her room as Soul tucked a strand of hair behind Tsubaki's ear.

"Stop nagging the guy, Maka," Black Star grumbled, not looking up from the textbook. "I mean, give him some credit. He'll never be a big a star as me, but he's okay."

He had a point...

"Hey, Black Star? Does Soul ever...talk about me?" Maka asked, nervously fidgeting with her sleeves.

Glancing up at her from his reading, the assassin cocked an eyebrow. "Say what?"

"When you guys hang out..." she stated. "Does he ever talk about me?"

She jumped at the sound of Black Star's laughter.

"Yeah, sure he does!" he coughed through bursts of laughter. "He won't shut up about how much you always complain and nag. Oh, and how you're a total neat freak at home, almost as bad as Kid."

Just as Maka was about to march out to the living room and give Soul a piece of her mind, Black Star's laughter faded away and his gaze softened a little.

"You're gonna have to ask him for details on this, but he said something about your eyes sparkling like emeralds or something," Black Star added before turning back to his textbook. "...now, 1876..."

Peeking out at the living room, she saw Soul lounging on the couch, and it seemed like Tsubaki had already left. With a sigh, she plopped down on her bed and waited for Black Star to finish memorizing the dates. If he put his mind to it and had the right kind of motivation, Black Star really could do anything. She wondered if he could pull of being romantic, but only chuckled at the image that came to mind.

"Okay, I think I got it," declared Black Star with a triumphant smile.

"Good. Recite them three times in a row from the beginning to the end. And then recite them another three times from the end to the beginning," she ordered. "Go."

* * *

Tsubaki made her way home through the winding streets of Death City in absolutely no hurry. She was too busy thinking about what Soul had said to her earlier.

_"The only reason I can think of for Black Star to be working so hard on something he's announced as useless crap on several occasions, is you."_

Just the thought of that being true made her heart flutter and brought a smile to her face. Especially knowing how self-absorbed her Meister was, for him to be working so hard for someone else's sake was definitely something else.

By the time she even got halfway home, it was almost dark.

"Hey, Tsubaki!" yelled a familiar voice from behind her. Turning around, the Weapon saw Black Star running to catch up with her.

"You must have been walking really slow, considering you left almost an hour ago," he commented with an easy grin.

"Oh, I was just thinking. How'd the rest of your study session go?" she asked.

"It went fine. Watch me get a hundred percent on this exam!" Black Star beamed with confidence.

"I know you will," his Weapon smiled warmly.

"Of course! There's nothing the great Black Star can't do!" But even as he said it, he really hoped he was right.

The rest of the walk was Black Star going on another monologue rant. Tsubaki really didn't mind. She'd grown used to it by now, and even though she was only half listening, she nodded and smiled at exactly the right times. When they finally got home, they were both exhausted and eager to go to bed.

"You should get some sleep," Tsubaki told her. "With all the hard work you've been doing, you must be exhausted."

"That stuff was easy as hell," Black Star yawned as he sat down on the couch. "You can have the bathroom first. Let me know when you're done."

Tsubaki reluctantly nodded before heading in to take a bath. By the time she was finished, Black Star was snoring loudly, his body sprawled lazily on the couch.

She gazed at him with a soft smile as she shook her head. "If you lay like that, your back is going to hurt tomorrow."

Figuring there was no way she could drag him into the bedroom, she adjusted his arms and legs into a more natural position and went to get a blanket for him. When she came back, she could have sworn she heard him mutter her name.

With a smile, she gently draped the blanket over him and took a step back. He looked really cute while he slept; his normally arrogant vibe was diminished, replaced by a calm sereneness that you'd think didn't exist for Black Star. Tsubaki couldn't help but feel a little special, being one of the only people to ever get to see it.

As she was about to turn and head into the bedroom, something loosely wrapped around her wrist, and looking down, she saw that it was Black Star's hand.

"Hey, don't go," he said in a soft voice, his eyes drowsily gazing up at her.

She tilted her head to the side as he scooted over to make room for her.

Smiling, she lay down next to him, even if she was unsure of what was going on. For a second, they gazed into each other's eyes in the darkness before they both drifted off to sleep, snuggled rather close together on a couch that wasn't all that big.

When she awoke the next morning, Tsubaki was in bed, her Meister nowhere to be seen. Slowly sitting up, she thought back to the events of the night before and wondered how she could have ended up in bed. And what's more; where was Black Star?

She glanced over at the clock and started at the fact that she was once again late.

After getting ready on high speed, she raced out of the apartment and towards the Shibusen. She made it in time for the bell and scanned the classroom for her partner.

"Tsubaki, I'd like to have a word with you in the hall," said Professor Stein, startling her and breaking her concentration.

She wordlessly followed him out into the hallway, unable to keep the worried look off her face.

"Judging by the look on your face and the confusion in your soul; you don't know," Stein hypothesized.

"I don't know what?" Tsubaki asked, her voice filled with concern.

Stein held up a piece of paper, and taking a closer look, Tsubaki saw that it was a test and the answers were Black Star's handwriting. At the top, there was a 75%. He passed. The first test she knew of that wasn't physical that her Meister had passed.

"But when did he take this?" she inquired. "Isn't it supposed to be first thing today?"

Stein gave her a look of concern mixed with sympathy. "Black Star came in and took the test this morning and requested that I graded it on the spot. After seeing that he passed..."

Tsubaki looked at him expectantly, impatiently waiting for him to continue.

"...he resigned from the Shibusen and left Death City."


	6. Exam of Loyalty, Love, & Determination?

Tsubaki gaped at the professor, the words getting caught in her throat.

Black Star..._left_?

"Do you know where he went?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to keep in the tears that were threatening to overflow.

Stein shook his head, adjusting his glasses. "He didn't say. Now, the question remains who will be your new Meister?"

She didn't answer him, not even hearing most what of he'd just said. Her worst fear had come true. Black Star really did leave, and he didn't even tell her. A wave of about a million emotions swept over Tsubaki, and she was afraid she'd simply just drown.

"You don't have to answer right now, but I have a test to administrate and you've got one to take," Stein finally sighed.

She silently followed him into the classroom and took a secluded seat in the very back.

Maka and Soul instinctively knew something was bothering their friend, but try as they might, their attempts to even make eye contact, much less talk to her, were in vain as the girl had her gaze glued on her desktop as Stein passed out exam papers and started the timer.

Fortunately for Tsubaki, she knew the material well enough to be able to subconsciously answer most of the questions, all the while, her mind was on her partner...or ex-partner, who had mysteriously left the Shibusen without so much as telling her.

When she'd finally finished the exam and turned it in, Stein told her she was excused and she could leave the classroom. Relief flooded over her as she headed into the hallway, but it was quickly washed away when she saw her friends waiting for her just outside the door.

"Where's Black Star?" asked Death the Kid, who had finally made it back from a long-term mission in Europe.

"He won't be coming to school anymore," Tsubaki replied bluntly.

"Hey, what happened?" Liz asked in a concerned voice, studying her friend's downcast face. "Did something go wrong while we were gone?"

"Actually, it just happened this morning," Tsubaki answered. "Professor Stein just told me that he resigned from the Shibusen and left Death City."

The five of them gaped at her in shock.

"But...why?" Maka finally asked, finding her voice at last.

""He didn't..." Tsubaki trailed off as the realization dawned on her. Turning on her heel, she took off sprinting down the hall and up the stairs towards the Death Room.

The door slid open for her when she got a few feet away from it and Tsubaki ran in without missing a beat, only stopping when she saw Shinigami-sama in full length mirror set in the middle of the circular podium in the center of the Death Room. Maka's father was also there, standing next to the mirror with his hands in his pockets and his face unreadable.

"Sir, where did he go?" she asked before he could even greet her; something Tsubaki would never usually do.

"I'm sure he would've told you if he wanted you to know," Spirit told her.

"Why would you just let him go like that?" the Weapon demanded on the verge of tears. Black Star was everything she had ever since she'd killed her brother. He was the reason she stayed at the Shibusen. She didn't even get to say goodbye.

"And what do you intend to do when you find him?" Shinigami-sama questioned.

"Bring him back," she replied firmly. "Or at least...say goodbye."  
_And tell him the truth about his family..._

After a moment of silent consideration, Shinigami-sama rubbed his chin and nodded. "If you're positive about going..."

"I am," Tsubaki stated with determination.

Spirit broke into a smile and Shinigami-sama himself did as well, underneath his mask.

"He's in Japan, looking for leads about the Star Clan," Spirit informed her, holding out an envelope.

Opening it, Tsubaki found a plane ticket to Tokyo along with a wad of cash inside.

"Thank you so much," the Weapon smiled brightly. "I'll do my best to bring him back."

"Good luck," the two men said in unison as she turned and left the Death Room, her heart soaring with hope of seeing her Meister again, at least once. And she'd tell him everything this time. Everything that was on her mind and in her heart.

* * *

The young assassin let out a heavy sigh as he looked over the city of Tokyo which glowed brightly at night. Unlike Death City, the lights seemed to stretch on forever, even with his heightened vision. He'd sat up on a rooftop watching the sunset, something he never thought he'd do. But something Tsubaki had said about the sunrise had made him sit still and watch as the sun disappeared into the horizon.

He kept telling himself his reason for leaving her behind was justified. It was for her own safety, something he valued more than his own life. Still, he had to admit, he kind of missed her gentle smile and having her around to at least listen to him talk.

Scratching the back of his neck, Black Star got to his feet and leapt over the edge of the rooftop, nimbly jumping from ledge to ledge until he landed in a dark alleyway. He couldn't go sleep in a hotel since he'd refused the cash Shinigami-sama had offered him when he'd made the announcement of leaving. A big man like him didn't need anyone's money to survive on his own.

Besides, the faster he got the information he needed, the faster he coul go and properly say goodbye to Tsubaki, and as deep in his heart as that fact was hidden, there was no doubt that he was looking forward to seeing her again more than he was looking forward to finding out about the Star Clan.

Not being accustomed to thinking like that, Black Star shoved the thought to the back of his mind whenever it arose and focused on something else. And yet, even as he tracked down his next target, the young assassin couldn't get Tsubaki's sad expression out of his mind when the news that he'd left was broken to her.

As he entered the more dangerous part of town where the Yakuza ultimately ruled, the unsuspecting ex-Shibusen student found himself surrounded by a group of boys not too much older than himself. Although from the looks of them, they weren't even official members of the infamous Japanese Mafia.

"It's one of them. A Star Clan member," one of the guys pointed out, jabbing a finger at Black Star, who stood in unusual silence at the center of the circle that had been formed around him.

"If we can take his soul back to the boss, he's sure to let us in," another boy grunted, brandishing a large knife.

Black Star grinned darkly. "You clowns. What chance do you think you've got against someone like me?"

"There's seven of us and one of you, punk,"one of them called. "Don't be so cocky."

Black Star only smirked, thinking of the tantrum Kid would throw about the number seven not being perfectly symmetrical.  
"I don't really have time to deal with you guys right now, so get the hell out of my way!" he exclaimed, running at one of the seven.

In a few minutes, Black Star was the only one left standing, not so much as a bruise having been inflicted on him

"Okay, you can come out now," he said, turning to the shadows.

A familiar man stepped out of the darkness, and Black Star immediately recognize him as the werewolf they'd fought in London a while back.

"So, have you managed to perfect that sword technique of yours, boy? Or will you collapse on me again?" the immortal chuckled.

"You must think you're a funny guy, 'cause last I remember, I severed your freakin' arm," Black Star retorted with his usual confident grin.

"Ah, well, I'm immortal, so it grew back just fine," Free replied, flexing both his arms for the boy to see.

"Fine, I guess this time, I'll just have to cut you up into little pieces so you won't have any more limbs to regrow," the assassin grinned.

"Now that I've perfected my magic, you stand no chance," Free laughed as Black Star moved to attack him using Soul Force. The werewolf simply batted him away like a pesky fly and landed a punch in Black Star's ribs, causing him to cough up blood. "You're way out of your league, kid. Especially without a Magic Weapon. Tell me, why did you quit the Shibusen? Did you finally realize that the Shinigami's ideals were useless and stupid?"

"That's none of your damn business, wolf man!" Black Star exclaimed, lunging at Free with inhuman speed. But the immortal was faster, deflecting his attack and, once again, sending him skidding back a meter or so.

"We can take the Shibusen down, you know. Especially with a powerhouse like you on our side," the immortal stated as he snapped his fingers and froze Black Star's feet to the ground

"You'll never pull that off," laughed the assassin, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Even without their biggest man, the Shibusen's one hell of a school and as long as Shinigami-sama runs it, you'll never even get close."

"That's a shame," said a feminine voice as Eruka, the frog witch, stepped out of the shadows holding a sword. "You could have been apart of something big."

"I don't have to be apart of something big to be a star. I radiate my own light!" said Black Star.

"They killed you family," Free pointed out. "The Shibusen. That Shinigami and his Meisters wiped out your entire family and you're turning down a chance for revenge?"

"A big man like me doesn't hold grudges," Black Star replied. "And I have no intention of turning against the Shibusen and he people who raised me."

"He's gotta be the most stubborn Star Clan kid we've tried to recruit so far," Eruka sighed, shaking her head.

"Wait, you mean you know about other members?" demanded Black Star.

"Yep. They were all too willing to join up with us once we explained their true identities and what Shinigami-sama had done to their family," Eruka responded as she raised the sword. "But since you don't want to be with us, then we consider you as being against us."

He couldn't move. He was absolutely helpless, and he didn't know if he could channel his soul's wavelength into ice in order to melt it. Could he really go out that freaking easily?

"Black Star!"

His head snapped in the direction of the voice and a blinding flash made all of them squint as Tsubaki's kazarigama form fell into the assassin's hand just in time to block Eruka's blade with the chain.

"Tsubaki?" gaped Black Star.

"Hi, Black Star," the Weapon replied. "We can talk later, but right now, we have to focus on taking them down."

"Right," nodded her Meister. "Tsubaki, Uncanny Sword mode. Go!"

** A/N: Pretty short chapter, I know. Sorry about that. And sorry I took so long to update. I've been super busy with registration and last-minute summer assignment cramming. But I hope you guys are enjoying the story!**


	7. Hotel Japan: Romance, Laughs, & Awks

Maka and Soul observed the fight happening below from the helicopter Professor Stein had piloted to Japan, Maka having demanded to come see how Black Star and Tsubaki were doing. Soul, being her Weapon partner, agreed to come along in order to look after his slightly reckless Meister.

"Their Soul Resonance is weaker than before," Maka commented, activating her gift of Soul Perception.

"Indeed, however, they've got a few personal issues to work out," Stein replied from the pilot seat. "But even at full resonance, with Black Star fighting the way he is..."

"You think they stand a chance?" Soul asked, glancing up at the professor.

The silence that followed was answer enough. Maybe if they were fighting Eruka, but both her and Free together spelled bad news.

"We have to go help them," said Marie, Stein's co-pilot and Weapon for the trip. "I can't just sit here and watch while–"

Stein placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head."We merely came here to observe. That was the deal, remember?"

She sighed and nodded, her kind eyes looking away from the ongoing fight below. It pained her to watch her students get hurt, and right the, Black Star was getting his ass handed to him on a platter by the werewolf.

Just as Maka was about to leap out of the helicopter to save her friends from the humiliation, something surprising happened: Free called for a retreat and the two disappeared into the shadows.

Stein didn't bother to stay and check if Black Star was okay before steering the helicopter away. The rest was up to Tsubaki.

After a moment of silence, Tsubaki met her partner's gaze. It was one she couldn't read.

"Why'd you follow me?" he asked simply.

"Because..." she trailed off, at a loss for words as he looked at her expectantly. "Because I... You left without saying anything. I was worried about you."

Black Star sighed, shaking his head. "Seriously, Tsubaki. I can take care of myself."

"Yes. I understand, but..." Her voice faltered and she turned her gaze to the ground. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure what she was going to say.

"C'mon. Let's find you somewhere to stay before someone decides to pick a fight with me again," her Meister said, leading the way down the street and towards the heart of the city.

"What about you?" she asked, trailing behind him.

"I don't have any money on me right now and I can't help you pay for the room, so I'm not staying," he shrugged.  
They found a small hotel and went inside to get a room. Tsubaki asked for a room with one bed.

The clerk raised an eyebrow, glancing at Black Star before wordlessly handing her the key.

They rode the elevator up to the 42nd floor in silence and found their room, Tsubaki all the while thinking about how to phrase everything she wanted to say. She never considered herself very good at this sort of thing, but she didn't think she was this awful at it.

However, as she stepped inside and closed the door, it hit her like a ton of bricks.

Black Star plopped onto the bed and looked out the window at the city lights. "I'm gonna miss DC big time. You can't get any peace and quiet, so it's hard to get people's attention."

Tsubaki smiled to herself as she sat down beside him. "You can come back, you know."

"Nah. Not until I find out what I came here looking for, he responded. "I mean, I did spend all my savings on the plane ticket so I might as well, right?"

"Look, Black Star there's something... There's something I've got to tell you," said Tsubaki, gazing over at her partner.

Everyone seemed to think he was childish, obnoxious, and somewhat unreliable, but she knew better than that. There was a lot more that met the eye when it came to Black Star. He just has a different way of showing things.

"If you're gonna beg me to go back with you, it won't–"Before he could finish the sentence, Tsubaki had turned his face so he was facing her and pressed her lips gently against his.

"You can do whatever makes you happy," she stated after pulling away. "But please, let me stay with you."

Black Star blinked, still dumbfounded from the kiss. He couldn't process what had just happened. Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, his Weapon partner and one of the only people he put above himself...had just kissed him.

Finally snapping out of it, he shook his head. "It'll be dangerous as hell. Besides, you'd make a great Deathscythe and maybe then, I'll find you and ask for your autograph."

Tsubaki sighed, hanging her head. She'd half expected this response, but it still stung a little.

There was a moment of silence before Black Star sighed, giving in. "K, fine. You can stay if you really want."

"Thank you," beamed Tsubaki.

Her Meister looked away. He would have said it was her he should be thanking, but...

As the silence dragged on, the realization of what she'd done slowly dawned on her and Tsubaki could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She was glad Black Star wasn't looking at her as she was positive that her face was becoming more and more flushed with every passing second.

"Hey... I'm going to go wash up," she announced, getting to her feet.

"Okay."

Retreating into the bathroom in a hurry, she shut the door and leaned against it. She, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, had actually kissed her Meister on the lips...and she'd enjoyed it far more than she should her eyes, she thought back to when she'd spent the night curled up on the couch beside him. Had that been his way of saying goodbye? Or...was it something more?

Taking a deep breath, Tsubaki undressed and stepped into the warm shower, letting the water run over her skin, calming her hyperactive nerves. It wasn't wrong that she might have feelings for him as more than a friend, was it? It was pretty obvious that Maka and Soul liked each other, and everyone urged them to become a couple. So why couldn't it be the same for her and Black Star?

After cleaning herself up, Tsubaki picked up the fluffy towel on the counter and attempted to wrap it around her body. However, the towel was smaller than expected and wasn't long enough for her to tie it in front so that it would stay on while she went out and retrieved new clothes from the backpack in her room.

She mentally yelled at herself for not bringing her clothes in with her as she pulled open the door and poked her head out to look into the bedroom.

Black Star was on his back and looked as if he was asleep. That was a good sign.

Tiptoeing out of the bathroom, Tsubaki went over to her bag, which was by the TV and moved to swiftly open it, only to find that the zipper was _stuck_! As she attempted to hold onto her towel with one hand and fix the zipper with the other, Black Star stirred in his sleep, causing her to jump.

"What're you doing, Tsubaki?" he asked, drowsily sitting up. "And what's with the mini towel?"

She blushed and explained that the zipper on her bag was stuck.

"Well, you can't fix it with one hand," Black Star pointed out.

Holding the towel up with her arm and prayed that it wouldn't fall as she worked to get the zipper loose. After a minute of concentration, it finally slid open.

Triumphantly pumping her fist in the air, Tsubaki momentarily forgot that the towel wasn't secure around her body until it slid down to almost her waist.

Black Star, who'd only been paying attention half the time gaped wordlessly as the scream got stuck in his throat. He couldn't look away and it seemed like Tsubaki was frozen in terror as well.

Luckily, she wasn't facing him directly, but she was so shocked she couldn't make her muscles move.

"Uh...Tsubaki?"

His voice snapped her out of the trance and she immediately pulled her towel up and grabbed some random clothes from her bag before racing into the bathroom and shutting the door.

A single thought ran simultaneously through their minds: _That did _not _just happen._

* * *

Soul and Maka lay on their bed, staring up at the ceiling. Because Maka insisted that Marie and Stein should use the majority of the hotel money on getting a big room for the two of them, her and her Weapon partner were stuck in a one-bed suite a few rooms down from Tsubaki and Black Star's.

"You're spying on their souls, aren't you?" Soul, who was laying so close to her she could feel his warmth, questioned.

"So? What if I am?" Maka responded indignantly. "Tsubaki's my friend and I don't want any of...that stuff...going on."

Soul propped himself up with his elbow and gazed over at his partner, her emerald green eyes meeting his crimson gaze. "What's so bad about said stuff? You know they like each other. I know they like each other. The entire Shibusen is counting on them getting together."

"I just don't want to see her getting hurt, that's all," Maka replied, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling her stomach got whenever she was so close to Soul.

"Black Star can be an idiot sometimes, but I can vouch that he's okay."

His Meister sighed and propped herself up on her elbow as well so they were looking directly at each other.  
"I know he's not. I've known him since we were young. But..."

"Your dad?"

The one thing Maka liked and, at the same time, hated the most about her partner was the fact that he seemed to be able to read her deepest, darkest thoughts: The ones that she tried to keep hidden and even deny they even existed. And he'd bring them to light. It made her feel like a shitty person, but at the same time, she appreciated the fact that he knew her so well.

"I know it's wrong to compare every guy to my dad, but..."

"Hey, you've been living with one for over a year, Maka. Do I really seem that bad?" Soul asked gently.

"No, not _that _bad," she replied with a small smile. "We should get some sleep. I want to go sightseeing tomorrow. It's the first time I've been to Japan."

"Oh, so Miss Bookworm actually wants to do something fun for once," her partner teased with an easy grin.

"Shut up and go to sleep," Maka giggled, tossing a pillow at him.

They both lay back down and after a few seconds of silence, Maka glanced over at Soul. "Do you think they'll come back?"

Soul gave her arm a reassuring nudge as he smiled at her through the dim light. "'Course they will. We just gotta let them do what they have to do. They'll come back to Death City when they're ready."

"I just hope Black Star doesn't get too reckless," sighed the Scythe Meister, closing her eyes.

"With him, you never know," Soul Eater replied.

**A/N: I'm so sorry I took so long to update. School just started back up and I barely have a spare minute. I hope you guys liked the chapter, though, and I'm already working on the next one. I'll update as soon as possible. It'll probably be more action oriented since this one was pretty much all fluff. **


	8. Join the Clan: Black Star's Big Decision

Tsubaki slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight streaming through the window. She glanced over to her right and saw Black Star still fast asleep. His face had a distressed expression on it and she wondered momentarily if she should wake him up.

Deciding against it, the Weapon got up and went to take a morning shower to wake herself up a bit. The events of last night still swam around in her head as she got undressed and stepped into the shower, but she'd calmed down from the initial shock quite a bit. She'd been hyperventilating for about five minutes after rushing into the bathroom, her face so hot she was convinced it might melt right off.

But one thing Tsubaki would never want to forget was the kiss she'd shared with Black Star. It was her first kiss, and she didn't regret it one bit.

Smiling to herself, she got out of the shower and got dressed before heading out into the suite.

Her Meister was already up and had apparently ordered room service as he ws scarfing down a plate of eggs and was a plate of pancakes set aside as well as scrambled eggs and bacon.

"Morning, Tsubaki. I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I told them to surprise me," Black Star said through a mouthful of bacon.

"Chew and swallow, Black Star," Tsubaki giggled as she sat down and started on her pancakes. "Thanks for the breakfast."

"It's technically on your tab. I'll pay you back later, though."

"No need," Tsubaki replied. "It was the money Shinigami-sama gave to me. Anyway, what should we do today?"

Tracking Free and Eruka down might be our best move," her Meister replied thoughtfully. "I'm not usually a man for strategies. That's Kid's forte."

"This is one thing we should really not barge into," Tsubaki reminded him.

Black Star shrugged, looking out the window at the city skyline. "Whatever. There's always our go-to plan."

The Weapon tilted her head to the side curiously, blinking. "Our...go-to plan?"

"Yeah," her Meister grinned. "Get in, kick ass, take some souls, and get out."

"Um, I don't think that plan would work in this context, Black Star. We should really think this one out," Tsubaki begged.

"Fine, we'll figure something out when we find them. So where should we start?"

"Well..." Tsubaki trailed off as she remembered what Shinigami-sama had told her. But she couldn't break a promise, even if it was killing her to keep a secret from Black Star of all people.

"What is it?" Black Star questioned, gazing at her curiously.

"Oh, nothing. I just lost my train of thought," she replied composing herself. "But I think you're right about tracking down those two. They should lead us to everyone else."

"It'd be a lot easier if Maka the Soul Perceptionist was here," Black Star grumbled. "But how hard can it be to track down an immortal werewolf and a frog girl?"

Incidentally, it proved to be quite the challenge. Not knowing the area well was a disadvantage, and the fact that everything in the city was different didn't help matters.

"It's been three hours and we still don't have a single lead," Black Star grimaced, putting his hand against a brick wall of an alleyway and blasting it with his Soul Force.

"Well, maybe they'll come to us," Tsubaki suggested.

Before her Meister could utter a word, a shadow caught their attention. Tsubaki instinctively turned into a kusarigama, her Meister catching her with ease as he scanned the alley.

A boy with stark white hair emerged from the shadows dressed in all black, his pupils the shape of stars as his eyes studied the Meister and Weapon.

"You don't seem like much," the boy drawled, walking closer, his eyes seeming to glow with malice. "I hate to have to kill one of my own, but since you're in the way."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, kid," Black Star replied.

"We just want some answers," Tsubaki added. "We didn't come looking for a fight."

"Well, that's too bad," the boy chuckled with a twisted smile. "'Cause you've got one!"

He lunged at Black Star, who easily dodged his attack, but had to kick it into Speed Star in order to keep up with him. However, even the punches that did hit had little force behind them and Black Star took them without a cringe.

"You think you can take down some one who's going to surpass god with your bare hands?" he asked, blocking a kick with his forearm.

"There is no god," the boy replied in a dark voice, his attacks not missing a beat. "The Star Clan are the gods."

"Yeah? How's that working out for you when everyone's dead?" Black Star retorted, landing a hard punch in the boy's solar plexus, sending him flying backwards, slamming into a building.

"Once we're reformed, we'll be even stronger than before," the boy answered. "Why did you turn down Free's offer to join us, brother?"

For a moment, Black Star didn't answer and Tsubaki could feel an array of emotions waging war in his soul as he looked the boy in the eye and said simply, "I have someone I need to protect."

"And what better protection can you offer them than that of the strongest clan ever to live?"

Black Star didn't have time to reply before Tsubaki returned to her human form and stood beside him.

"You intend on becoming the strongest by killing people. That's not the right kind of power," she pointed out.

The boy smirked, peering at Tsubaki through his long bangs. "Oh? Is she perhaps the one you feel such a need to protect?"

The Meisrer didn't answer, just glared at the younger boy. Not particularly with hate, but rather pity and sympathy.

"Say I change my answer and take the offer," Black Star said in a low voice.

The boy only chuckled and turned, walking towards they alley's exit. "Then come find find the HQ. My name's Haru, by the way."

With that, he rounded the corner and disappeared, leaving Black Star in silence and Tsubaki stunned.

She couldn't understand why he'd even consider joining them.

"Black Star, wait," Tsubaki protested aa her Meister made to take off after the boy.

"What is it?" he asked, impatiently. Every second counted when it came to tracking, especially with a trained assassin like Haru.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea to follow him. It could be another trap," said Tsubaki.

"Even if it is, you've got ol' Black Star to protect you and nothing can touch you while I'm around!"

She hesitating before nodding, turning into a ninja blade and silently allowing Black Star to follow the younger assassin through the winding streets until the got to a more abandoned part of town where it was mostly warehouses. They lost track of Haru as they entered the maze of warehouses,

"Dammit, this blows. Hey! Come out here and fight me!" Black Star shouted.

There was movement in the rafters and they knew off the bat that they were surrounded.

Free and Eruka stepped out from behind a stack of crates and Tsubaki's prediction was confirmed, despite not knowing exactly why they wanted to trap the two of them.

There was a moment of silence as the two pairs stared each other down. Neither spoke first until Haru dropped from the rafters to stand between them.

"Well, I brought them," he stated irritably.

"Right. You're the second most difficult of the lot," Free grumbled.

"Did you change your mind about joining us?" Eruka asked.

Tsubaki felt her heart stop when Black Star didn't respond. She knew what the answer would be before the words left his mouth.

"And what if I am?" he uttered in a low voice.

"Black Star," Tsubaki protested as he placed his Weapon on the ground.

"Go back to Death City and the Shibusen, Tsubaki." He didn't even glance at her.

She returned to her human form and gazed at him in dismay. "Wh...what? But...you're not really going to... You can't!"

There was no response and the silence rang louder than any answer he could have given her. She couldn't accept it. She just couldn't.

"Why?" she whispered at last.

"I'm an assassin. I don't belong with all you do-gooders at the Shibusen," Black Star replied, finally turning to look at her, his eyes telling a whole other story of their own. One that only Tsubaki could read. "It's simple as that, but I'll see you soon when we come take that place down for killing the rest of our clan."

Turning, the Weapon ran from the warehouse as fast as she could, trying to hold back the tears. She ran and ran and kept running until she got into town. As she rounded the corner into a bustling sidewalk, she ran head on into no other than Maka Albarn.

At the sight of her friend, she couldn't hold them in anymore and the tears came streaming out as she clung to the awestruck girl and cried. Cried for Black Star and herself and the mess they were in because she hadn't told him the truth in the first place. Now, she wondered if she'd ever get to, or if things could ever be the same between them again.


End file.
